History and Architecture

Known as the 'jewel in the crown', The Regent's Park (including Primrose Hill) covers 197 hectares. Like most of the other Royal Parks, Regent's Park formed part of the vast chase appropriated by Henry VIII.

Marylebone Park, as it was known, remained a royal chase until 1646. It was John Nash, architect to the crown and friend of the Prince Regent, who developed Ther Regent's Park as we know it today.

A vast rounded park was designed by John Nash, surrounded by palatial terraces, a lake, a canal, 56 planned villas (only 8 were ever built) and a second home for the Prince - a summer palace, which was never built.

The park became the home of several organisations like the Zoological Society and the Royal Botanic Society. It wasn't until 1835, during the reign of King William IV, that the general public were actually allowed into the sections of the park and this was only for two days of the week.

The main development in the 20th century was the creation, in the 1930s, of Queen Mary's Gardens. Of the buildings and monuments within the park, only two villas, St John's Lodge and The Holme, remain from John Nash's original conception of the park.